HS baskeball: Midlakes girls advance to Class B state semifinals

Screaming Eagles use late run to get past pesky Hillbillies, 70-60, in Saturday's Far West Regional at Rush-Henrietta

By Bob Chavezrchavez@messengerpostmedia.com

HENRIETTA — When a team comes at you with height, there often times is a tradeoff.

Not so for the Fredonia Hillbillies, who gave the Midlakes girls everything they could handle in Saturday’s Class B Far West Regional at Rush-Henrietta.

But in the end — the very end — it was the Screaming Eagles who pulled away with poise and precision for a 70-60 victory. The win punched a ticket to the Class B final four for the first time in Midlakes history.

"That was tighter than we were used to," said Midlakes coach Nate Rich, whose team improved to 25-0. "But I just told the girls they need to relax and have fun."

Of course, the game is a lot more fun when you’re winning and for much of Saturday’s contest, Midlakes was doing just that. But the Section VI champion just wouldn’t go away.

The Hillbillies (13-14) had a clear height advantage with 6-foot-1 senior Gracie Morrison. And they had a perimeter game with the shooting of senior Katie Price, who finished with 29 points that included seven 3-pointers.

But what they also had was quickness and tenacity on defense that Midlakes really wasn’t expecting.

That tenacity is what helped Fredonia erase an 8-0 deficit in what looked like it might be another lopsided win for Midlakes. But after Fredonia closed to within 10-8 on a Price 3-pointer, Midlakes bolted back to a 14-8 lead. But the Hillbillies used a 7-0 run to help cut the Midlakes lead to 16-15 at the end of the first.

Midlakes again extended its lead in the second but Fredonia tied the game at 23-23 with 5:08 left in the second and it was a 28-27 Midlakes lead when Kazlin Beers scored.

The Screaming Eagles pushed their lead to 34-27 with two free throws and a basket by junior Alaina Forbes, and it was a 34-30 lead at the half after Forbes scored 11 of her 29 points in the second quarter.

Midlakes got five points on a 3-pointer and a basket from junior Macy Kisner (12 points) and after Sydney Passalacqua’s putback gave Midlakes a 41-34 lead, it came out of the timeout with baskets from Forbes and Passalacqua again for a 45-34 lead.

"Syd was so big on the offensive boards," said Rich. "She attacked the boards and cleaned up, along with Macy. Those extra possessions really helped us out."

Passalacqua said she and her teammates not only know their roles on the team, but they accept the roles. And that’s been a key all season.

"It’s big," she said of the offensive rebounding. "But I’m not the only one who does it."

When Midlakes opened the fourth with a 53-46 lead, it looked as though the Screaming Eagles were well on their way. But Price and the Hillbilles weren’t finished.

Price hit three 3-pointers and a conventional bucket as part of an 11-4 run to tie the score at 57-57 with 5:22 left. A Forbes free throw put Midlakes back in front but Fredonia struck again with a Hannah Gullo 3-pointer with 5:00 left.

But then the Hillbillies went cold. They missed five 3-point shots in the closing minutes and didn’t score a point while Midlakes scored the final 12 points of the game, five by Kisner and four from freshman Cara Walker.

"Their height and their outside shooting gave us problems," said Rich. "Shot after shot after shot. They played hard the entire game."

Perhaps harder than Midlakes thought. Yes, the Hillbillies had the height, but they weren’t counting on that height being as quick as it was and it added up to one of the biggest tests of the postseason.

And really, all it took for Midlakes to get through it was a talk to remind themselves of who they were.

"We just needed to pick each other up," said Passalacqua. "And make sure we didn’t get in our own heads."

And once that was realized, the Screaming Eagles got back to work.

"We didn’t come out as hard in the first quarter but then we really started to push the ball," said Forbes. "And at the end of the game, we came out and dropped everything (nerves) and played our game."

Midlakes plays its Class B semifinal game on Friday at 3:15 at Hudson Valley Community College. The Screaming Eagles play the winner of Sunday’s game between Bishop Ludden-III and Susquehanna Valley-IV.

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